HEADING TOWARDS HALTWHISTLE

摘要

There are branch lines preserved in their entirety, today's West Somerset Railway and Keighley & Worth Valley Railway being notable examples, and several narrow gauge lines constructed on one-time standard gauge trackbeds. The ultimate ambition of the South Tynedale Railway almost brings a new definition to the 'Lazarus Lines' concept - complete revival of what was originally a standard gauge branch as a 2ft-gauge line. That, surely, would be a unique accolade for the Alston branch? The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway's Haltwhistle to Alston branch opened in 1851/52 to serve what was then an important lead mining district. Closure of the last colliery at Lambley in 1958 led inevitably towards progressive reductions in railway usage. Freight trains stopped running to Alston in 1965 and passenger services, by then operated by DMUs, were withdrawn on May 1,1976 after road improvements had made a replacement bus service possible.